About St. Stephen the Martyr · Middleburg, Virginia
St. Stephen the Martyr is a small country Catholic parish in Middleburg, Virginia, in the rolling horse country of Loudoun County, that serves roughly 800 registered parishioners and is best known as the church President John F. Kennedy and his family attended during weekend visits to the area. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Arlington and celebrates Mass in both English and Spanish, with a distinctive Hispanic community drawn largely from the central Mexican state of Zacatecas who work in the local equestrian industry. St. Stephen the Martyr is also the mother church that gave rise to two daughter communities: Corpus Christi Parish in South Riding (parish in 2014) and St. Katharine Drexel Mission in Haymarket, both of which still share pastoral care with Middleburg.
- Established
- 1957 (mission); 1975 (parish)
- Patron
- St. Stephen the Martyr (St. Stephen, first Christian martyr)
- Rector
- Rev. David Belt
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
St. Stephen the Martyr offers something rare: a true small-town Catholic parish where most people know each other, set in the middle of Virginia hunt country. It is one of the most historically distinctive parishes in the diocese — the pew President Kennedy used is still marked — and it remains the spiritual home of a remarkable Mexican-Zacatecan community drawn here by the horse industry. Weekday and Sunday Masses are offered in both English and Spanish, the parish school and Religious Education programs serve around 550 children, and the same pastorate also shepherds St. Katharine Drexel Mission in Haymarket, so parishioners can plug into a wide range of ministries, choirs, and outreach without losing the intimacy of a country church.
Mass times at St. Stephen the Martyr
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 7:00–8:00 PM
- Friday 9:00 AM
- Saturday 3:45–4:45 PM
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Wednesday 7:00–8:00 PM (Holy Hour, with confession available)
History of St. Stephen the Martyr
St. Stephen the Martyr traces its origins to 1957, when Father Albert Pereira, pastor of St. John's in Leesburg, established Middleburg as a mission and celebrated the first Mass at the Middleburg Community Center. The community grew alongside the Kennedys' regular visits to their rented Middleburg property, and in October 1961 Father Pereira launched a capital campaign that concluded before the end of the year. Construction began in late 1962 with quiet input from the Secret Service, and the new church was dedicated April 21, 1963. The mission was elevated to parish status in June 1975, becoming the very first parish in the newly created Diocese of Arlington.
- 1957 – Mission established by Fr. Albert Pereira; first Mass at Middleburg Community Center
- October 1961 – Capital campaign launched and completed before year's end
- Late 1962 – Construction begins; Secret Service helps design the usher's closet safe room
- April 21, 1963 – Church dedicated
- November 10, 1963 – Kennedy family's last Mass here
- November 22, 1963 – LBJ sworn in aboard Air Force One on Fr. Pereira's missal
- June 1975 – Mission elevated to parish; first parish of the Diocese of Arlington
- 2018 – Italian marble altar installed in the sanctuary
The Kennedy Connection
St. Stephen the Martyr's most celebrated chapter is its association with President John F. Kennedy, who worshipped here with his family during weekend visits to horse country. The pew the family used is marked by a plaque, a photograph of their final November 10, 1963 visit is on display, and the original usher's closet — converted by the Secret Service into a soundproof, bulletproof panic room with a direct line to the White House — is still pointed out to visitors.
- Marked Kennedy family pew
- Original Secret Service safe room / usher's closet
- Framed photo of the First Family's last visit (Nov 10, 1963)
- Father Pereira's missal — the book on which LBJ took the oath of office
The Mexican-Zacatecan Community
About a third of St. Stephen the Martyr's parishioners are Hispanic, and — uniquely within the Diocese of Arlington — roughly 90% of those are of Mexican lineage from the central state of Zacatecas. Most originally belonged to the same parish in Florencia, and many work in the surrounding horse farms and estates. The parish functions almost as a sister parish with Inmaculada Concepción in Florencia, occasionally hosting visiting priests, and cowboy boots and blue jeans are a common sight at Mass.
- Mass celebrated in Spanish (Sunday 12:30 PM; Wednesday 6:30 PM)
- Sister-parish relationship with Inmaculada Concepción, Florencia, Mexico
- Children's faith formation deeply rooted in the community
Mother Church of Two Daughters
In the early 2000s, then-pastor Father Joseph Biniek responded to explosive Northern Virginia growth by launching weekend 'Masses of Convenience' at South Riding and Haymarket, hauling Mass supplies with a horse trailer. In June 2004 Bishop Loverde elevated those communities to formal missions: Haymarket became St. Katharine Drexel Mission, and South Riding became Corpus Christi Mission. Corpus Christi was raised to parish status in November 2014 and dedicated its own church building in May 2021; St. Katharine Drexel continues to share pastoral care with St. Stephen the Martyr.
- 2004 – Both daughter missions established
- 2014 – Corpus Christi (South Riding) becomes a parish; Fr. Christopher D. Murphy assigned as pastor of SSM and SKD
- 2021 – Corpus Christi opens its own church building
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation at St. Stephen the Martyr serves about 550 children each year, with programs spanning toddlers through eighth grade. The parish uses Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (a Montessori-based approach) for ages 3–6, weekly catechist-led Religious Education classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for K–8, a parent-led home-based track, and OCIA for Children ages 7–14 who need baptism, first sacraments, or catch-up formation.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3–6, Montessori-based)
- Religious Education (K–8, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, Aug–May)
- Parent-Led Religious Education (home-based, monthly gatherings)
- OCIA for Children (ages 7–14)
- First Holy Communion preparation (2nd grade)
- Confirmation preparation (8th grade, with retreats and stewardship activities)
Youth Ministry (Grades 6–12)
Middle-school and high-school youth are served by Catching Fire (grades 6–8) and Witness Wednesdays (grades 9–12), which alternates between St. Wenceslaus and St. Stephen the Martyr and includes time before the Blessed Sacrament, Bible study, and faith-in-the-world discussion.
- Catching Fire – middle school youth ministry
- Witness Wednesdays – high school youth ministry, Wednesdays 8:00–9:30 PM
Music & Liturgical Ministries
Music is central to worship at St. Stephen the Martyr. The Adult Choir sings at the principal Sunday Mass, the Children's Choir (grades 2–8) rehearses twice monthly on Thursday evenings and sings monthly during the school year, and cantors and instrumentalists round out the liturgical music. Liturgical lay ministries include altar servers, lectors, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, sacristans, and ushers.
- Adult Choir – sings at 10:30 AM Sunday Mass
- Children's Choir – grades 2–8, Thursday 6 PM rehearsals (twice monthly)
- Cantors and Instrumentalists
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
- Altar Servers
- Lectors
- Sacristans
- Ushers
OCIA, Sacraments & Adult Formation
Adults interested in becoming Catholic are welcomed through OCIA (formerly RCIA), which meets Sundays September through May following the 9 AM Mass. Sacramental preparation for baptism, first reconciliation, first Communion, confirmation, marriage (using the Witness to Love mentorship program), and anointing of the sick is coordinated through the parish office. The Seven Sisters Apostolate assigns one woman to pray a holy hour each day for the parish priests.
- OCIA – Sundays Sep–May, after the 9 AM Mass
- Witness to Love marriage mentorship program
- Seven Sisters Apostolate (daily holy hour for priests)
- New Parishioner Dinners (twice yearly)
Outreach, Charity & Community Life
Outreach at St. Stephen the Martyr reflects both its country-parish character and its diverse community. A parish food pantry serves local families in need, while the Knights of Columbus (including a Prayer Quilt ministry at the sister mission), the Legion of Mary, the Meals Ministry, and the Prayer Vine support the sick, bereaved, and homebound. Annual community events include Trunk-or-Treat, hosted with the Home and School Association, and parish-wide picnics such as the Fourth of July cookout in Middleburg.
- Parish Food Pantry
- Knights of Columbus
- Legion of Mary
- Meals Ministry
- Prayer Vine
- Trunk-or-Treat (annual)
- New Parishioner Outreach & Dinners
St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic School & Advisory Boards
The parish operates St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic School, supported by an active Home and School Association. A School Advisory Board consults with the principal on Catholic identity, academic excellence, operations, and financial viability, while a Religious Education Advisory Board supports the pastor, Director of Religious Education, and Youth Minister.
- St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic School (preschool–8)
- Home and School Association
- School Advisory Board
- Religious Education Advisory Board
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Albert Pereira1957–c.1975
Founded the Middleburg mission from St. John's in Leesburg in 1957; built and dedicated the current church April 21, 1963; loaned President Kennedy the personal missal used at LBJ's swearing-in on Air Force One.
- Rev. Walter Malloyc.1975
Listed by the Diocese of Arlington as the founding pastor of the parish in 1975.
- Rev. Joseph Biniekturn of the millennium–c.2010
Established weekend 'Masses of Convenience' at South Riding and Haymarket in response to explosive Northern Virginia growth; served a 300-square-mile territory from a horse trailer.
- Rev. Michael Taylor2010
Sent as Administrator of Corpus Christi Mission; later became founding pastor of Corpus Christi Parish when it was elevated in November 2014.
- Rev. Christopher D. MurphyJune 2014–c.2025
Assigned as pastor of both St. Stephen the Martyr and St. Katharine Drexel Mission; oversaw Corpus Christi's elevation to parish; known for cycling Loudoun County's gravel roads.
- Rev. David Beltc.2025–present
Current pastor per the parish's 2025 Ministry Guide.